Portable commode



Dec. 8, 1964 J. M. ARNDT, JR

PORTABLE COMMODE Filed Jan. 7, 1963 g k r 5 2 2 a w 7 /M. i M

- expensive material.

integral with the upper edge of each panel. 'flap portions 14'are folded inwardly and downwardly United States Patent 3,159,843 PQRTABLE tlfiMMGDE Joseph M. Arndt, in, (lie ton, Mm, assignor to The Flodlo iiorporation, St. Louis, M0 a corporation of Missouri idired .Fan. 7, 1963, Ser. No. 249,651 tllainrs. (Cl. 4--135) The present invention relates generally to toilets and the like, and more specifically to a disposable and collap sible toilet.

Many different toilet constructions have been devised and used heretofore. So far as known, however, no one has devised a relatively inexpensive, collapsible and disposable toilet that is particularly adaptable for use outdoors as by campers and others and which can be quickly assembled and disassembled and completely disposed of. These and other disadvantages and shortcomings of known toilet constructions are overcome by the present construction which comprises a completely disposable construction including a closed side wall structure and a closure wall mounted on and supported by the side wall structure, said closure wall having a bendable closure flap defining a toilet opening therethrough. The present construction is also collapsible into a fiat condition for storage and carrying.

A principal object of the present invention is to provide a relatively inexpensive portable and disposable toilet.

Another object is to provide a toilet that can be collapsed into minimum space for storage, shipment, carrying and other handling. 1

Another object is to. provide a completely disposable toilet for campers and the like.

Another object is to provide a toilet that can be quickly and easily assembled and disassembled without requiring special training or tools.

Another object is to provide a sturdy and comfortable toilet primarily for use outdors by sportsmen, campers, road crews, and others.

Yet another object is to provide improved means for carying a toilet construction.

These and other objects and advantages of the present toilet construction will become apparent after considering the following detailed specification of a preferred embodiment in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective View, partly broken away, of .a toilet device constructed according to the present invention;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary cross-sectional View taken on line 22 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a side elevational view of the same toilet shown in collapsed condition; and

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the closure member portion per se of the subject toilet.

Referring to the drawing more particularly by reference numbers, number refers to a toilet'constructed according to the present invention. The toilet 10 is made of three parts including two internested closed outer and inner side wall members 11 and 12 respectively, and a cover or closure member 13. All three parts are preferably constructed of readily burnable material such as paperboard, cardboard, or some other relatively in- The outer side wall member 11 has four similar connected side wall panels with an attached flap portion 14!- All four against the inner surfaces of the associated panels of the outer wall member 11 (FIGS. 1 and 2).

.The inner sides wall member 12 has a like number of connected panels which are somewhat shorter than corresponding panels of the outer member 11 so that the inner member 12 can be positioned inside of the outer member 11. In this position and with the members open as shown in FIG. 1 a narrow slot or space is formed around the structure between the inner'member 12 and the adjacent flap portions 14 of the outer member 11. The closure member 13 includes a substantially square closure portion 15 with an integral side edge flap 16 along each side edge thereof. The side flaps 16 are positioned extending downwardly into the slots or spaces between the panels of the members 11 and 12. In this position the closure member 13 is supported by the upper edges of the panels of the inner Wall member 12. It should be noted also that in this assembled condition there are no rough edges around the periphery of the structure to interfere with the comfort of the user.

The closure member 13 has a centrally located lid 17 with a notch or cutout 18 formed in one edge thereof; The lid 17 is hinged to the closure wall 15 along a fold line 19, and when the toilet is not being used the lid 1'7 is maintained in the plane of the closure wall 15 and when the toilet is being used the lid is bent up to the position illustrated by the dotted outline in FIG. 1.

A main feature of the present construction is that it can be collapsed into a flat condition for storing, inventorying, carrying, and handling. FIG. 3 illustrates the collapsed condition in which the inner and outer wall members 11 and 12 respectively are flattened and the closure member 13 is positioned extending between the collapsed panels of the inner member 12. In this position two opposite flaps 16 of the closure member 13 are in extended positions, a third flap 16 at the bottom is folded through and the fourth or top flap 16 extends from the top side edge of the members 11 and 12. To hold the members in this condition three pieces of adhesive tape 21) are attached to the structure as shown. Two of the pieces of tape 20 are attached extending over the upper edges of the structure above the end edges of the flaps 16 and the third piece of tape 2h extends around the bottom edge of the structure to hold it together.

The upwardly extending cover flap 15 has a centrally located handle flap 21 which isfoldable along a fold line 22. The flap 21 is pushed out and folded upwardly to form a comfortable handle for carrying the structure. When the structure is being carried the two upper tapes 2i) cooperate to prevent the cover member 13 from coming out. The bottom tape 21 also prevents the cover member 13 from falling out.

It is now apparent that there has been shown and described a novel toilet construction which fulfills all of the objects and advantages sought therefor. Many changes, modifications and variations of the device will, however, become apparent to those skilled in the art after considering this specification and the accompanying drawing. All such changes, modifications and variations which do not depart from the spirit and scope of the invention are deemed to be covered by the invention which is limited only by the claims which follow.

What is claimed is: V

1. A three-piece portable commode comprising an outer closed wall structure formed by a plurality of connected side wall panels, an inner closed wall structure formed by a like number of connected side wall panels, said inner wall structure being positioned inside the outer wall structure with each' side wall panel of the inner wall structure being adjacent to but spaced from a corresponding side wall panel of the outer structure, said panels being of substantially equal height and a seat member including a top closure wall with a toilet opening therethrough, said closure wall having a side edge corresponding with each side wall panel of the inner wall structure and a bendable flap attached to each of said side edges of said closure wall, said flaps extending into the spaces between corresponding adjacent spaced inner and outer wall panels on one side of the structure, said seat member resting on the top surface of the inner wall panels, said toilet opening being covered by an integral bendable flap hinged on one edge to the closure wall.

2. The structure of claim 1 wherein the top edges of the outer said wall panels are folded over to define with the top surface of the seat member a smooth continuous top for the portable commode.

3. The structure of claim 2 wherein the seat flap is provided with a notch in the edge opposed to the hinged edge to facilitate lifting the flap to expose the toilet opening.

4. A three-piece collapsible portable commode construction comprising a member having four four-sided panels with two opposite side edges of each panel connected to similar opposite side edges of adjacent similar panels to form a closed four wall structure, a sim ilarly constructed, but smaller, closed four-panel structure positioned inside the aforesaid structure with corresponding panels of each structure being substantially adjacent, said structures having substantially the same uniform dimension between the unconnected panel edges, said structures being collapsible into a flat condition or opened to define an open-ended chamber therein, and a seat member closing the top end of said chamber, said seat member including a closure wall having side edges substantially alignable with the adjacent panel faces of the four-wall structure when the structure is open, and a flap on each side edge of said closure member insertable between adjacent panels along a corresponding side of the structure, said closure wall having a toilet opening therethrough, said seat member being positioned between adjacent panels of the wall members when the wall members are collapsed into a flat condition, said seat member having two opposite side edge flaps extending outwardly therefrom in the plane of the closure wall, a third side edge flap extending outwardly from one side edge of the collapsed structure, said third side edge flap including handle means thereon for carrying the collapsed structure, and means engageable with said collapsed structure to retain said structure in collapsed condition and to prevent unintentional removal of the closure member therefrom, said retaining means being removable tapes positioned across the top edges of adjacent panels of the nested collapsed four-panel structures to retain the structures in collapsed condition, said seat member being positioned between the tapes with the two opposite side edge flaps being positioned beneath the tapes whereby the tapes retain the seat member within the collapsed structure during carrying.

5. The structure of claim 4 wherein the top edges of the outer four Wall structure are folded over and fastened to provide a smooth top seating edge and including a third removable tape positioned across the bottom edges of the collapsed structure beneath the seat panel to assist in retaining the constructions in collapsed condition and to retain the seat member in the collapsed four-panel structures.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,729,384 1/56 George et al. 229-23 2,849,726 9/58 Vay 4-l34 2,912,702 11/59 Mackenzie 4-135 EDWARD V. BENHAM, Primary Examiner.

FRANK H. BRONAUGH, Examiner. 

1. A THREE-PIECE PORTABLE COMMODE COMPRISING AN OUTER CLOSED WALL STRUCTURE FORMED BY A PLURALITY OF CONNECTED SIDE WALL PANELS, AN INNER CLOSED WALL STRUCTURE FORMED BY A LIKE NUMBER OF CONNECTED SIDE WALL PANELS, SAID INNER WALL STRUCTURE BEING POSITIONED INSIDE THE OUTER WALL STRUCTURE WITH EACH SIDE WALL PANEL OF THE INNER WALL STRUCTURE BEING ADJACENT TO BUT SPACED FROM A CORRESPONDING SIDE WALL PANEL OF THE OUTER STRUCTURE, SAID PANELS BEING OF SUBSTANTIALLY EQUAL HEIGHT AND A SEAT MEMBER INCLUDING A TOP CLOSURE WALL WITH A TOILET OPENING THERETHROUGH, SAID CLOSURE WALL HAVING A SIDE EDGE CORRESPONDING WITH EACH SIDE WALL PANEL OF THE INNER WALL STRUCTURE AND A BENDABLE FLAP ATTACHED TO EACH OF SAID SIDE EDGES OF SAID CLOSURE WALL, SAID FLAPS EXTENDING INTO THE SPACES BETWEEN CORRESPONDING ADJACENT SPACED INNER AND OUTER WALL PANELS ON ONE SIDE OF THE STRUCTURE, SAID SEAT MEMBER RESTING ON THE TOP SURFACE OF THE INNER WALL PANELS, SAID TOILET OPENING BEING COVERED BY AN INTEGRAL BENDABLE FLAP HINGED ON ONE EDGE TO THE CLOSURE WALL. 